The Diego Diaries: Boom (dd6 615)
I have posted a new part to Chronicles of Orion #27 just now. :D
=0=There
"This is getting tedious," Ratchet said as he rose from his preliminary and cursory examination of the body. "This must be the tip of choice for dumping things among the humans. I don't believe we need worry that anyone else did it."
A big mech with two others from the morgue glanced at Prime. "He's ready to go, Optimus?"
Prime glanced at Sky who nodded. "He can go. Just take it easy lifting him. I want to get the scene in depth. If anything shakes loose, leave it," Sky said.
A momentary sense of the willies swept through everyone there at the thought some part of this freeze dried man would fall off, then the mech reached over to grip Lombardi's legs. Lifting him up like a chicken drumstick, he put the dead man on the stretcher the other two held. Nodding to everyone, he led the way to the runabout and a one way trip to a freezer in the morgue for a slow thaw preparatory for autopsy.
It was macabre and weird a moment, then Sky scanned the area where he'd lain. Bending down, he picked up a tiny dark object with a pair of tweezers. Holding it up, he scanned it. "It would appear someone lost a button. Or maybe it was his." He dropped it into an evidence bag.
"We need to go to Earth2. Sky, can you have the scene handled by your team, then direct another who are short statured to meet us there?" Prime asked.
"I can," Sky said as he sent orders off line.
Prime glanced at Drift. "Have a set of heavies, about eight meet us at Earth2. I want that place tossed and I want to post a guard there. No more people are going to die," he said with a coldness that brooked no nonsense.
"Ratchet, call Barron, Blackstone and Coln-2 to meet us there. I am invoking. I want this done right. No one is to know of this yet, Jazz," he said glancing at the pensive bot standing beside Ratchet. "No one goes home, not anyone including the visitors. News of this is blacked out in all communications mediums. Make it so."
Jazz nodded even as he sent orders over to the Ops Center Communications Command hub there. "Got it done, Prime."
Optimus looked furious, then he glanced in the distance toward Hound and Trailbreaker who were heading back their way. They reached the group at last. "What did you find?"
"No tracks going any direction from here toward habitation. They came, dumped him here, then drove back. This is so close to the junction and so traveled that their tracks mix almost completely with everyone elses. We got nothing, Prime," Trailbreaker said as Hound nodded.
"Very well," Prime replied. "I want everyone to converge on Earth2 now and wait until we all get there. Autobots, roll out."
With that, they began to transform to convoy back to the junction and the short drive to Earth2.
=0=Springer
"Drift, where are you?" Springer asked over the open-personal channel they often used when in alt mode.
:On my way to Earth2. There was a murder. Again. Drift out:
Springer who was standing in his living room thought about that, then cursed softly. He called for a cab, then limped to the elevator and down to the white vehicle just arriving at the curb below. Entering it, he gave it priority to head for Earth2 at top speed.
=0=Earth2
They began to gather at the windows to stare into the gathering gloom of a springish-winterish day. Because of the slope of Olympus Mons, the amount of daylight at this time of year wasn't as long as it was during the 'summer'. SAD lights were a thing inside the habitats for some. Right now, it was mid afternoon but the gloom outside was normal for this time of year.
Mechs were driving into the vast parking lot that fronted the vast structure, transforming, then waiting together as if for someone to show up. They were mechs no one knew, though the nine human Autobot security agents who worked here knew all of them. They were Day Watch heavy security, the alpha heavy duty intervention team for emergencies. They gathered, too, waiting for the show to start as nearby the management and a number of the visitors began to walk to the windows as well.
Soon, several hundred humans and all of the visitors would be standing by together staring at the group outside that was growing by the minute.
"What's going on, Owen?" a venture capitalist asked somewhat nervously. "Are they coming in here?"
"I don't know," Owen said as he pulled his phone out to call Prowl on the specialist number that all heads of habitats could use.
"They can't come in here can they?" another asked.
"They can," The sub-commander of the ten individual human Day/Night Watch security team said. He glanced at the humans. "Remember the treaties, codes, charters and agreements? If there's a problem, they can come in and even take the facility over to ensure that there's no further harm to come."
They stared at the human who was only beholding to Optimus Prime, then Harris. "Can they?" an investment banker asked.
Owen nodded. "They can." No one at the other end was picking up his call. Optimus Prime was clearly not ready to talk to him.
Everyone turned toward the windows again in time to see Optimus arrive, transform and join the group. As he did, a number of large and small Seekers fell from the sky, transformed and landed hard on the ground nearby. Everyone gathered together. It was deeply foreboding to all watching.
=0=Outside
"Here is what I require," Optimus said to everyone there. "I want the forensics team to go to the mercenary's quarters and take everything that is not nailed down. Gather everything. Jazz, get with Paribolus to get their communications both off and on world. Take care to preserve his anonymity.
"Barron, Coln-2 and Blackstone, I want this done by the book. Make sure that nothing is done that is not lawful," Prime said.
"We will, Lord Optimus," Barron said as the other two nodded solemnly.
"I want the mercenaries taken into custody. They will not be allowed to be free. Put them into detention cells individually. I do not want them to be able to communicate. Is that possible, Jetta?" he asked.
Jetta nodded. "We can do that. We've expanded the detention facilities that we have for humans who are taken into custody from three to fourteen. We did so after the murder of Dobbs."
"Good," Prime said. "I do not expect them to like this but I am uninterested in their views at the moment. The law is clear about what happens during these sorts of events. We will follow it to the letter. No one leaves from these facilities without checking in and out with Springer. Boost their locator devices. We want them on the grid at all times. No communications on and off world until further notice.
"The visiting humans here … they will just have to cope. We can make excuses later. I want mechs stationed inside with the brief to assist the on-site guards night and day."
At that moment a white cab arrived and Springer stepped from it to the frown of Drift and the amusement of everyone else. He walked to the group, then turned to Prime. "What do you want, Optimus?"
"Besides you following ORDERS!?" Ratchet asked with a severe optic.
Springer blew Ratchet a kiss, then turned back to Prime.
"I have assigned duties. We are going inside to take the mercenaries into protective custody and to gather evidence from their quarters. I want guards from the Watch posted here," Prime said.
Springer nodded, then glanced at the mechs. There were the usual suspects, Hercy, Kup and Roadbuster as well as others including the twins. "Then we're go."
Optimus glanced at the mob by the windows inside, then began to walk to the hatch doors with the others following. The humans there watched them with a variety of emotions on their faces.
=0=Inside
The ten member security team of Day and Night Watch listened to the ear piece in their ears, then turned to the crowd. "I would like everyone to step back, way back. The mechs are coming inside," one said as they fanned out and began to move the crowd away from the hatch opening.
Even the visitors and leadership began to step back as Siso and a human N.E.S.T. officer on day shift duty came from the elevator nearby, the human riding on Siso's servo. Everyone finally stopped as the habitat doors began to open.
Optimus and the boys were inside the habitat entry space waiting, then he stepped in, his massiveness overwhelming to those who had never seen him in person and even those who had. He stopped in front of the group, then the others came in behind until everyone was inside. The doors closed.
It was silent a moment, then Harris stepped forward. "Lord Optimus, what brings you and everyone here?"
"We are here on a matter of the gravest importance, Mr. Harris. There has been another murder of a human from this habitat."
It was leaden as the group absorbed that surprise. Harris stepped closer. "What do you mean?"
:He's sincerely shocked. So is everyone else in this room, Optimus: Ratchet said as he scanned them with his specialist equipment. "I'm checking you for shock," he said as the humans glanced at him. "Just scanning. Take deep breathes, all of you. You will feel more clear helmed in a moment.
They did, then Owen stepped closer. "What are you saying? Who?"
"We received a call from a truck driver on the TransWorld Highway that there was a figure lying in a group of boulders. He investigated and saw a human there. The victim was dead and frozen. We have gone to the site and confirmed that it is the mercenary of your hire, Silvio Lombardi."
A gasp was heard as everyone turned toward a young woman, a pretty woman from Brazil named Luisa Costas. She looked shocked. "What? I saw him last night. He was fine. How can he be dead out there?"
"It would appear that he was killed here, then dumped there," Ratchet said. "What can you tell us about this, Miss? You might have been the last person short of his killer that can speak for him."
She gasped as a friend gripped her hand. "He came to my apartment and we had dinner. We had a great evening. Then he went to his own. I didn't see him again."
"Did he have any worries, anyone who might be giving him alarm or problems?" Jazz asked. "Anything that you noticed about him that seemed different or unusual no matter how small?"
She thought a moment, her anguish genuine as she struggled. "He didn't speak about his job. Neither did I. We talked about Italy and Brazil. We liked the same things. He was a great guy. Who would do this to him?"
"We are going to find out. I want all of the mercenaries to step forward now," Prime said firmly.
The crowd glanced around, then began to step back away from the mercenaries in the crowd. They glanced around with surprise, then looked at Prime with alarm.
"What do you want from us?" Jim Johnson said sharply.
"I want you in my custody," Prime said as he reached for the big human. He gripped him, then straightened, holding Johnson easily in his grip.
Johnson beat on his servo but it did no good. "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO!?" he shouted.
"I'm going to hold you in protective custody," Prime said as he glanced at the others. "Take them now."
Huge servos reached into the crowd as the mercenaries, too scared and shocked to run were easily grasped. Big mechs straightened up, then held up the humans in their servos.
"I am taking you into protective custody until this matter is determined. You are in danger of becoming the next victim. Two mercenaries have been murdered, both from this facility. I will not countenance a third." He turned toward Drift who had pulled a see through containment device from his carry hold.
It was opened so Prime gently put Johnson down at the door. The big human tripped then staggered inside whereupon Drift sealed it. Sliding it into his hold, Johnson disappeared from view.
The others did the same as the rest disappeared into holds. Everyone turned to face each other again, solemn faced bots and fearful solemn faced humans. "Barron, please explain to the locals here what is happening and will happen now that I, as the Prime of Cybertron and guarantor of this facility invoke the Override Clause."
Barron bowed to Prime, then turned to the group and the leadership in particular. "Let it be known that Optimus of Iacon, the Prime of Cybertron, Mars and the Empire, bearer of the Matrix of Leadership, the Creation Matrix of Primus does hereby invoke control of the facility known as Earth2 until such time as circumstances are understood and good order is restored.
"You are therefore confined to this facility. Any and all necessary investigations of the property are allowed to commence without hindrance and all communications between this facility and Earth is thereby suspended until such time as deemed possible. You are in protective custody due to circumstances which may indicate that there is a serial killer in our midst.
"We will undertake a full search of these men's quarters, both them and the deceased, confiscate anything that might be evidence for this crime and search the communications and movements of the deceased in our efforts to find Mr. Lombardi's killer. It is not our intention to override your rights. We have been given full permission in the carefully negotiated and fully agreed upon signed charters, codes, treaties and agreements that make up Earth2's charter and its leadership obligations and responsibilities.
"The Prime of Cybertron is doing his duty here to you and to the colony. Nothing that is happening or will happen is arbitrary nor is it unlawful. Please review your agreements if you are concerned and discuss them with my colleagues here, Blackstone and Coln-2." He glanced at Prime, then bowed his helm.
Prime glanced at Springer. "Do it," he said coldly.
They would.
=0=TBC 3-17-19 edited 3-18-19
SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder: Being deprived of the benefits of sunshine in the darker seasons can cause depression. Some use SAD lights with the correct spectrum of light to beat it back. You turn it on and sit with it on you, hitting your eyes at the right tempo. I have one and this works. It's about 10-12 hours of darkness here in the winter and this is essential equipment. Use one if you find yourself depressed. It doesn't even need to be dark to help you. They don't cost much and they work. :D -Dr. Management
ESL: a tip is a dump and archaeologists use it as a term for dump pit